Guard-rail construction



Patented June 16, 1.925,; V

- UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GROVER F. BLAIR,

onnnrnnvnn, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ensans 'ro ROLANDIS A.

BLAIR, or rear WAYNE, INDIANA.

GUARD-RAIL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 7, 1924. Serial No. ?11,560..

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Gnovnn F. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States,residing in Bellevue, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and use" ful Improvements inGuard-RailConstructions, of which the following is a specifica tion.

Myinvention relates to improvements in guard rail constructions for usein prevent ing the derailment of rolling stock at crossovers, switchesand the like. i

A guard rail on its side adjacent the rail with which it cooperates isusually subjected to heavy wear due to the grinding'action of the wheelflanges, consequently the life of the guard rail is relatively short.One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an improved guardrail construction in which suitable supporting means, adapted to befixed against lateral movement away from the railroad rail, carriesawear memher which is separable from the supporting means and soarranged that when the member has become worn away to such an era tentthat it is no longer safe to use, it may readily be removed and a newone substituted without discarding or even disturbing the supportingmeans. Preferably the supporting means carrying the wear member isprovided with perforated base portions.

which extend under the base flanges of the adjacent railroad rail sothat when spikes are driven through the perforated base por. tions intothe ties, the railroad rail is not only secured in position on the baseportions but the supporting means carrying the wear member is fixedagainst lateral movement away from the railroad rail.

It is another object of my invention to provide, in combination with thesupporting means, a memberprovided with a plurality of wear surfaces andwhich is so mounted on the supporting means that by turning or reversingit on the supporting means any one of its several wearing surfaces maybe brought into operative position adjacent the head of the railroadrail. Preferably the Wear member is in the form of a double-heaoledrail, wearing surfaces being provided on the respective sides of eachhead, whereby the life of the wear member is, four times that of theordinary guard rail and, when all four surfaces on the member are wornaway to such an extent as to make its use unsafe, the wear member may bediscarded and a new member substituted.

-.Another object of my invention is the provision of means effectivelypreventing longitudinal movement of the wear member relative to thesupporting means, this preferably being accomplished by providinginwardly turned lugs 011 the supporting means adapted to abut againstthe ends of the wear member. i

A further object of my invention is to provide supporting means for aguard rail which has its end portions divergent with respect to the railwhile the portion thereof intermediate the end portions is madesubstantially parallel with respect to the rail, in combination withwearmembers on said divergent portions which are independent of the wearmember for the intermediate portion, this. being particularly desirablewhen a double-headed wear member is carried by the intermediate portionbecause the last-named member is subjected to the greatest rolative wearand by such an. arrangement all four wearing surfaces on thedouble-headed wear member may be utilized without revamping orbending-the doubleheaded member to fit the divergent end portions. y i

Another object of my invention is the provision of a guard railconstruction having the advantages above noted and which will beinexpensive to manufacture, strong and durable and which may be readilyinstalled or repaired by ordinary track workmen.

The invention consists in'the novel constructions, arrangements anddevices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove-stated objects and such other objects as will appear from thefollowing description of certain preferred em- Cal bodiments illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a guardrail construction embodying the principles of my invention Fig. 2 is asectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on a ditl'erent scale, of a fragmentaryportion of the means shown in the preceding views for supporting member12 integrally formed with a. horizontal base portion 1-3. The baseportion 1;) is provided, on one side, with a plurality of integrallyformed base plates 14: which normally lie on top of the ties underneaththe base flanges of the rail 8 and on the other side with laterallyextending integrally formed foot portions 15 which are also adapted torest on the top of the ties. The foot portions 15 are provided withnotches 15 adapted to receive partially ordinary track spikes 16; Eachof the base portions 1' 1- is provided with spike openings let, 14"

and 1 1, each being differently spaced fromtheupright portion 12, thefunction of which will be presently described.

Inthe en'ibodiment herein shown the wear member, referred to generallyby the reference character 17, is provided with a head portion 18 and' ahead port-ion 19, the two portions being connected by a web portion 20.The head portion 18 is provided with wearing surfaces 18" and 18 and thehead portion 19 is provided with wearing surliaces 19 and 1 9. Themedial portion 12 of the supporting member 12 is: shaped to conform tothe web portion 20 of. the wear member 17, and the longitudinalmarginpontions .12 a nd12 of the supporting: member are curved outwardlyto conform to the heads 18 and 19. The supporting member 12 and the wearmember 17. are provided with a plurality of registering 2117011111 68 21for the insertionofbolts 22, or the like, whereby the wear member islirmly secured to the supporting member.

The ends of the supporting member 12 are bent away from the rail toprovide the divergent portions 12 and in that form of nay-inventionshown in Fig. 1 the end portlOIlSOfthe wear member 17 are also bent;

divergent-1y with respect to the rail so as to lit the divergentsupporting portions 12". The extremities of the divergent portions 12are preferably provided with inwardly extending shoulders 12 which areadapted N to abut against the respective ends of the wear member 17.Foot blocks 23 may be positioned between the ends of the wear member andthe rail 8, said blocks being held in position by means of bolts 24;which extend through the supporting member 12, the wear member 17, thefoot blocks 23 and the web ofv the rail 8.

The guard rail construction is installed in atrack by slipping the baseportions 1% underneath the flanges of the rail 8: the wear member 17 maybe mounted on the supporting members 12' either before or after thelatter has been placed in position. Spikes 25 are driven through theopenings 1 1 of the base portions 14: and the spikes 16 are driventhrough the notches 15 of the foot portions 15. When the surface of thewear member adjacent the head of the rail becomes worn to such an extentthat it is unsafe to use, the supporting means and the wear member maybe moved laterally toward the rail 8 by withdrawing the spikes 1G and 25and then reinserting the spikes 25 in the openings 14"; As the spikes 25are driven home, the supporting means and the wear member are drawn overtoward the rail, which compensates for the worn away portion of thesurface on the member 17 adjacent the head of the rail 8. The spikes 16,of course, are then reinserted to fasten the foot pieces 15 to the ties.It will be obvious by inserting the spikes 25 in the openings 14 thatthe supporting means and the wear member may be positioned even closerto the rail 8. hen the surface on the member 17 adjacent the head of therail 8 wears to such an extent that it is no longer safe to use evenwith the supporting means moved toward the rail 8 as far. as possible,the member 17 may be readily removed and a new one substituted.

hen the wear member is in the form of a double-headed rail, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, its life is four times that of the ordinary guard rail.It will be obvious, when the surface 18 thereof wears to such an extentthat it can no longer be used, that the wearing surface 19 may nobrought into operative position by turning the member 17 end for end;After the surface 19 is entirely worn away, the surface 18* may bebrought into operative position by turning the member 17 half over inwhich case, however, it will be necessary to bend the extremities of themember 17 in the opposite direction to bring them against the divergentportions 12 of the supporting means, which may be readily done by anordinary rail bender. When the surface 18 isentirely worn away thesurface119 may be brought into operative position by turnmg the memberITend for end. On sharp curves jand especially in double track, there is aconsiderabletendency for the wear member 17 to creep longitudinallyrelatively to the supporting means in the direction of traffic, whichplaces the bolts 2' and 24: under a considerable shearing stress. Theinwardly turned lugs or shoulders 12" on the supporting means abutagainst the respectiveencls of thewear member and ettectively preventrelative longitudinal nloveiuentoit the Wear member, thereby reliev'ingthebolts 22 and 24: of any undue shearing stress. i

A guard rail construction embodying the princi iilespol ny invention isinexpensive to manufacture. Themelnber l7 may be of rolled steel similarto ordinary rails. Thesupporti'ng means for the member 17 is preferablyone integral casting; The constructionis strong and durable and maybereadily installed or repaired by ordinary track workmen. V

In that term of my invention shown in Fig. 4-, the wearmeinber comprisesdivergent end 'se'ctions26 (only one being shown) and j a straightsection 27. The divergent eudseotiOnS-QG are'subjected to much less wethan theintermediate straight section 27 and in, this: form of myinvention the straight section'obvio usly may be reversed to bringanyOneof its four wearing suriliaces into operative position without thenecessity of bending'itsends tomake them conformto the divergentsupporting por tions12 In thatqform of my invention shown in Fig. 5 thedivergent endportions 28 (only one being shown) are made relativelythick sothat iit isonlynecessary to attach relatively thin wearingplates 29 thereto in order to build up the wearing surfaces thereof" sothey will be even with the wearing surface of the straight section 27.In this modification strong, rugged shoulders 30 are provided on thesupporting means for the respective ends of the Wearing member 27 toabut against-and they prevent'any longiw tudinal movement of the wearmember 27" relative to the supportingmember.

I do notjintendto limit 'my invention to the details of constructionshown and described, except only in so far ascertain of the appended,claims are specifically so limited',as it will be obviousthatmodifications mav be made without departing from the principles of myinvention. v

I claim: h r i 1L Ina guard rail construction, the com binationofsupporting means adapted 'to be fixed against lateral movement; awayfrom a railroad raili a "member separable from said supporting'meansandhaving a plurality of w'earing surfaces, and means for 'mountlng saidmember upon said sup porting means so that any one of said w'earbereadily brought into said member upon said supporting means so that anyone of said Wearing surfaces may be readilybrought into' operative position; i

3. In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadaptedto be fixed against lateralmovement away from a railroad rail, adoubleheaded member having wearingsurl'aces on the respective sidesofeach of its heads, and means for mount-' ing said member upon said;supporting means so that any one of said wearing surfaces may bebroughtinto operative position.

4. Ina guard rail construction, the combination oi"means providing abase portion. and a supporting portion, said means he ingadapted to bepositioned with its base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixedagainst lateral movement away from said rail, a double-headed memberhaving wearing surfaces on the respective sides ofeach ofits heads, andmeans for mounting said member upon said supporting means so that anyone of said wearing surfaces may be brought into operative position. i

5. In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadapted to be fixed against lateral movement away from a railroad raih amember having a plurality of wearing surfaces, said supporting meanshaving means projecting laterally and adapted to abut against one of theends of said member, and means for mounting said member upon saidsupporting means sothat any one of said wearing surfaces may be placedin operative position. l

6; In a guard railconstruction? the combination ofmeans comprising abase portion and a supporting,portion, suidmeans being adapted'tobeposi-tionecl with its base portion under a railroad rail and to befixed againstlatera1 movement away from said rail, member having apluralityof Wearing surfaces; saidsupporting portionhavingmeansoplrojecting laterally and adapted to abut against" one ofthe ends ofsaidmember,' and means for mounting said member upon 'saidsupporting portion so that any one of said wearing surfaces may beplaced in oprativ 'positiom 'Z. In aguard railconstruction, thecombination of supporting means adapted to be fixed against lateralmovement away from a railroadrail, a member having a plurality ofwearing surfaces, said supporting means having means projectinglaterally and adapted to abut against the respective ends of saidmember, and means for mounting said member upon said supporting means sothat any one of said wearing surfaces may be placed in operativeposition.

8. In a guard rail construction, the combination of means comprising abase, portion and a supporting portion, said means being adapted to bepositioned with its base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixedagainst lateral movement away from said rail, a member having aplurality of wearing surfaces, said supporting. portion having meansprojecting laterally and adapted to abut against the respective ends ofsaid member, and means for mountingsaid member upon said supportingportion so that any one of said wearing surfaces may be placed inoperative position.

9. In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadapted to be fixed against lateral movement away from a railroad rail,a double-headed member having wearing surfaces on the respective sidesof each of its heads, said supporting-means having means projectinglaterally and adapted to abut against the respective ends of saidmember, and means for mounting said member upon said suportin means sothat an one of said wear-v p b ing surfaces may be placed in operativeposition.

10. In a guard rail construction, the com bination of means comprising abase portion and a supporting portion, said means being adapted to bepositioned with its. base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixedagainst lateral movement away from said rail, a double-headed memberhaving wearing surfaces on the respective sides of each of its heads,said supporting portion having means projecting laterally and adaptedtoabut against the respective ends of said member, and means formounting said member upon said supporting means so that any one of saidwearing surfaces may be placed in operative position.

11. In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadapted to be fixed against lateral movement away from a railroad rail,the end. portions of said means being'divergent and the portion thereofintermediate said divergent portions being substantially parallel withrespect to said rail, and wear members, provided on said divergent andintermediate portions, respectively.

12. In a guard rail construction the combinationof means providing abase portion and. a supporting member, said means being adapted to bepositioned with its base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixed.against lateral movement away from said rail, the end portions of saidmember being divergent and the portion thereof intermediate saiddivergent portions being substantially parallel with respect to saidrail, and wear members separable from said supporting member andprovided on said divergent and intermediate portions, respectively.

13; In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadapted to be fixed against lateral movement away from a railroad rail,the end portions of said means being divergent and the portion thereofintermediate said divergent portions being substantially parallel withrespect to said rail, a wear member mounted on said intermediateportion, said divergent portions being in the form of shoulders adaptedto abut against the respective ends of said wear member, and wear platesprovided on said respective divergent portions.

14:. In a guard rail construction, the combination of means providing abase portion and a supporting member, said means being adapted to bepositioned with its base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixedagainst lateral movement away from said rail, the end portions of saidmember being divergent and the portion thereof intermediate said endportions being substantially parallel with respect to said rail, a wearmember mounted on said intermediate portion, said divergent portionsbeing in the form of shoulders adapted to abut against therespectiveends of said wear member, and wear plates provided on said respectivedivergent portions.

15. In a guard rail construction, the combination of supporting meansadapted to be fixed-against lateral movement away from a railroad rail,the end portions ofv said means being divergent and the portion thereofintermediate said divergent portions beingsubstantially parallelwithrespect to said rail, a member having a plurality of wearing surfaces,means for mounting said member upon said intermediate portion so thatany one of said wearing surfaces may be placed in operative position,said divergent portions being in the form of shoulders adapted to abutagainst the respective ends of said member, and wear plates provided onsaid respective divergent portions.

16. In a guard rail.- construction, the combination of means providing abase portion and a supporting portion, said means being adapted to bepositioned with its base portion under a railroad rail and to be fixedagainst lateral movement away from said ra1l,.t;he extremities of saidsupporting portion being divergent and the portion thereof in operativeposition, said divergent exintermediate said extremities beingsubstantremities being in the form of shoulders tially parallel withrespect to said rail, a adapted to abut against the respective ends 1member having a plurality of Wearing surof said member, and Wear platesprovided 5 faces, means for mounting said member on said respectivedivergent extremities.

upon said intermediate portion so that any one of said wearing surfacesmay be placed GROVER F. BLAIR.

